This monograph discusses how to protect adolescents by addressing health behaviors. Data come from the Add Health Survey, a comprehensive school-based study of adolescents' health-related behaviors. Secondary students answered surveys about their lives, health, friendships, self-esteem, and expectations for the future. School administrators…

This document examines differences in socioeconomic status by racial and ethnic groups in California, exploring changing patterns over time. It analyzes trends and outcomes in demography, geographic distribution, health, education, crime, labor markets, economic status, and political participation. Data on educational outcomes include: education…

This is the second report card on the New York City public schools issued by the Manhattan Institute's Center for Civic Innovation. The "just the facts" format provides a statistical review of performance over 10 years using data made available by the State Education Department and the City Board of Education. In the short term, data…

This study examined the association between food insecurity, participation in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), and child well-being. Participants were children age 6-12 years in families in which at least one child participated in the NSLP. Data came from the 1997 Child Development Supplement to the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. Food…

This study examines how neighborhoods, schools, and families can influence the mathematics achievement of eighth graders, using data from the 1988 National Educational Longitudinal Study combined with U.S. Census data. These data allow simultaneous analysis of all aspects of students' lives. Results indicate that there are associations between…

This paper examines the importance of political and sociocultural factors in foreign language education, focusing on English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) learning in Lebanon. It begins with a historical review of foreign language education in Lebanon, then discusses the current role and status of English in the Lebanese context, which reveals…

This study investigated factors that contribute to the mathematics and reading achievement of students in Italy. The Walburg Productivity Model (H. Walburg, 1984) served as a framework to analyze the interconnections among family processes, family structure, and socioeconomic status. Campbells Differential Socialization Paradigm (J. Campbell,…

In 1998, the Illinois statewide coalition Work, Welfare and Families, in partnership with the Chicago Urban League, undertook a study to assess the effects of welfare reform on low-income families and children across Illinois. The findings were derived from three sources: a self-administered survey of 2,166 low-income clients of Illinois social…

Previous studies found that the small size of schools or school districts mitigated the negative influence of poverty on academic achievement in California, Alaska, and West Virginia. The Matthew Project extends this research in four additional states selected to provide varied settings. Montana has a remarkable number of small schools and small…

Previous studies found that the small size of schools or school districts mitigated the negative influence of poverty on academic achievement in California, Alaska, and West Virginia. The Matthew Project extends this research in four additional states selected to provide varied settings. Ohio is a very diverse, urbanized state with a large…

This report is the first in a series documenting the actual results of welfare reform, examining changes in the welfare and work participation of single mothers. Data come from the annual March supplement to the U.S. Current Population Survey. Results find that the number of families on welfare declined by 50 percent between passage of welfare…

Research has revealed interactive effects of school size and socioeconomic status--as school size increases, the mean measured achievement of schools with disadvantaged students declines. The larger the number of less advantaged students attending a school, the greater the decline. The same school-level interactions have been found in California,…

The relationship among Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) results, high school grade point average (GPA), socioeconomic variables, and placement test scores was examined. Participants were 162 freshmen studies students from an urban university. Results of zero-order correlations indicated that the construct validity of the placement skills test used…

This paper explores an important component of the high college enrollment of Asian American students: application to college while in high school. Using data from the 1988-1992 waves of the National Educational Longitudinal Study (NELS), rates of application to college are compared for Asian Americans and Whites and various Asian American ethnic…

This action research study examines the stressors that impact the lives of working mothers (N=11). Ethnographic field notes, personal interviews, and a series of eight weekly group meetings were used to collect data. The prevailing stress discourse does not adequately describe working single mothers' experiences of stress, but instead separates…